Tories pledge to repeal hunting ban

Mr Herbert said the Hunting Act was an "ass" as it had not saved the life of a single fox and hunt membership had actually increased.

Tory leader David Cameron has described the ban as a "farce" and said he would hold a Commons vote on repealing the act if the Conservatives were elected.

There was speculation in recent weeks that this would be done through a backbench private member's bill, which would have less chance of becoming law due to a lack of parliamentary time.

But writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Herbert said: "There is a compelling case to sweep this law off the statute book.

"That is why David Cameron has said that, if we are elected, we will give Parliament the opportunity to repeal the Hunting Act on a free vote, with a government bill in government time. There will be no watering down or retreat from this pledge, which will be repeated in our election manifesto."

He said some people argued that the Hunting Act was so ineffective that it might as well be left on the statute book. "But this is bad law, and bad laws should be repealed. While prosecutions have so far mainly failed, it is the professional hunt staff, whose livelihoods depend on their employment, who have found themselves in the dock and who still fear arrest, with all the worry and opprobrium that very public and drawn-out prosecutions entail."

Mr Herbert said Labour's hunting ban was an "act of spite" which "attempted to create two nations, dividing town and country".

He said: "It treated the rural minority with contempt, bordering on hatred. I will certainly vote for repeal, and so I hope will a majority of the new Commons. And with no more ado we can then move on, forging a positive agenda for conservation and the countryside, and putting the politics of prejudice and division behind us."

Labour MP Emily Thornberry said attempting to overturn the hunting ban was the "wrong battle for any serious government to fight in 2010". She said: "What does it say about Cameron that while Gordon Brown has thrown his full weight behind tackling the recession and securing the recovery for Britain, Cameron would throw his weight behind a move to bring back hunting?"